Pittsburgh is at the junction of the Allegheny and the Monongahela rivers, which merge to form the Ohio.

Pittsburgh grew tremendously during the Civil War, when it produced much of the nation's steel and glass. Formerly known as "hell with the lid off," because of the smoke from its plants.

The city declined with the steel industry, but rebuilt by broadening its economic base. Home to three major universities, Pittsburgh has emerged as a high-tech and medical center.

Despite regional economic growth, the city still struggles with declining population and a dwindling tax base. Pittsburgh's population in 2003 was less than half its peak of 676,806 in 1950.

In 1891, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names ordered removal of the final h from all communities ending in "burgh," specifically mentioning Pittsburgh. After a 20-year battle, the community won its campaign to restore the original spelling

Public transportation: Port Authority of Allegheny County (See the transit and travel sections below.)

Crime: The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 3,559. The number of murders and homicides was 67. The violent crime rate was 10.6 per 1,000 people.

Quotes:In the middle of the little bridge built over the railroad crossing he was suddenly enveloped in a thick mass of smoke spouted out by an in-rushing train. That was Jake's first impression of Pittsburgh.-- Home to HarlemClaude McKay

“ In the middle of the little bridge built over the railroad crossing he was suddenly enveloped in a thick mass of smoke spouted out by an in-rushing train. That was Jake's first impression of Pittsburgh. ”

ePodunk is not affiliated with any entity represented in its databases.
ePodunk also provides links to Web sites presented by government agencies, newspapers,
ski areas, inns and other enterprises.
The company is not affiliated with these sites, nor is it responsible for their content.
Post cards are vintage images from the early 1900s. They are not intended to depict current views. ePodunk does not sell electronic or paper copies of post cards appearing on this site, nor does it keep high-resolution copies of these images.